Thousands of counterfeit Xerox Phaser 780 toner cartridges with an estimated value of more than $1.3 million were seized or quarantined by authorities worldwide in early April.
The counterfeit color laser printer cartridges wereconfiscated by customs and excise officials at shipping ports in Hong Kong and at other locations in the United States and abroad. Around 4,800 cartridges were seized internationally and an additional 2,400 cartridges were quarantined in the United States.
The counterfeit products were discovered as the result of a global investigation initiated by Xerox Corp. in January. The investigation was prompted by a service technician’s discovery of an unusual-looking Xerox cartridge while on a service call. The cartridge was later confirmed to be a counterfeit product. The investigation led to a Xerox–authorized distribution partner that unknowingly purchased a large quantity of counterfeit goods from an unauthorized source.
The remanufacturing industry loses sales when cost-conscious consumers are lured by seemingly bargain-priced OEM cartridges that turn out to be counterfeits. "Remanufacturers lose because they must compete with these illegal products," said Bill Duffy, president and CEO of the Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC). "They lose opportunity."
